Lady, I Will Touch You
by Liz-N-Pixie
Summary: Fleur never imagined working as Hermione's personal assistant would open the door to so much more. Not only did she find her intelligence sexy, but her life had become tightly bound to the brunette's. For Hermione, things were changing as well.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This story is the result of a prompt by jailbaitjello on LJ's HP-Girlslash. The challenge was to write a story based on the poem "Lady I will touch you" by E. E. Cummings. She suggested Hermione Granger as one of the characters and we decided to pair her off with Fleur Delacour for this one.

What started as a one-shot grew so long that we decided to divide it into chapters. We're not done writing yet, so no idea how long this will turn out to be. Hope you enjoy!

_Lady, I will touch you_

_Lady, I will touch you with my mind.  
>Touch you and touch and touch<br>until you give  
>me suddenly a smile, shyly obscene<em>

_(lady I will  
>touch you with my mind.)Touch<br>you, that is all,_

_lightly and you utterly will become  
>with infinite care<em>

_the poem which i do not write._

_By E. E. Cummings_

**Chapter 1**

Watching her had become a favorite pass time for Fleur. She was so brilliant, so sure of herself. She had come a long way from the sometimes awkward little bookworm she once was. Hermione Granger's rise to fame had not only come with the war, but with the things she had set out to accomplish after it was all over.

Now, at 25, she was rumored to soon be appointed the second in command to Kingsley, something that didn't surprise Fleur when she had heard it. After finishing school, the brunette had gone on to further her studies in both wizarding and Muggle universities and had come back a few years later and taken their world by storm.

She had organized the masses and gotten many new laws approved to protect people like Fleur herself - people of mixed blood, people of different backgrounds and all the magical beings that had never had protection or rights before. Surprisingly, there had been little opposition to granting house elves pay and holidays since most wizards had recognized all they did for their families.

As far as weres, vampires, giants and the rest, she had made sure their species also had protection, that the correct information was given out about them and suddenly, they weren't as feared as before. Remus Lupin would have been proud and Fleur knew Andromeda couldn't be happier because Teddy's future was going to be somewhat easier thanks to the brunette.

She was invited by the ministries of other countries to speak to their people, to help them draw new laws, to ask for advice on how to handle certain things. And it never ceased to amaze Fleur, who had a front row seat to all of it because she just happened to be Hermione's personal assistant, a job not many thought she would like.

And contrary to everything everyone else thought, she absolutely adored being around her, loved watching her work her magic in more ways than one and considered it a privilege to work with her. Her job mainly consisted of keeping her together, keeping things flowing and organized, booking every trip and function, keeping the press away from her and basically making sure Hermione didn't topple under the stress.

The job had come unexpectedly, as she was working at Gringotts. Bill and her had had an amicable divorce two years after their marriage took place and Fleur had been working with him still but had been looking for a change. When Hermione came back and things had started flowing for her, it had become clear she needed someone to keep her together. When she approached Fleur about it, asking if she knew anyone, Fleur had offered to do it herself.

-

Hermione had always been a passionate person, although she always fell hardest for the intangible things. The pursuit of knowledge, for example, had been a driving force in her life for as long as she could remember. The other had been her desire to make a difference. Though one could assume her role in the golden trio, amongst other things, would have been enough for a lifetime, it was never enough for her.

Despite her passion, she hadn't been good at keeping the romantic passion in her life. She and Ron had parted ways shortly after their final year at Hogwarts, with Hermione pursuing her own higher education and Ron, being Ron, never having really expanded his emotional capacity. Afterwards, Hermione had little time for her own romance, as she spent most of her time learning or advocating for change.

That change had manifested itself into a high-level position within the Ministry, working tirelessly for the rights of those who previously had little. Having gained much attention for groundbreaking work like this, she had been invited to consult and speak for various assemblies. Over the years, as she had built her reputation up, her presence was required in more and more places, sometimes at the same time.

And then, everything changed for the better.

By pure luck, she had run into Fleur while she was at Gringotts one day, and the two of them had gotten to talking. Hermione had been looking for a solution to organizing her life, and came to the conclusion that a personal assistant would be best. She asked Fleur if she knew anyone that would be well suited for the position, and surprisingly, it was Fleur herself who ended up filling the role.

Though Hermione was a little surprised at first, the two of them worked flawlessly together. Fleur was impeccable in her organization of Hermione's life, and she herself had never been so relaxed in recent memory. Fleur was immensely helpful to her, and even went above and beyond anything Hermione had ever expected.

Since she and Fleur were essentially inseparable from breakfast to dinner, and sometimes before and after that, the two of them became quite close. Occasionally, Hermione wondered if it had bordered on _too_ close. Fleur had, a couple of times, walked in on her getting dressed in the mornings when she came with coffee to her flat, and it didn't bother her at all; in contrast, she had spent most of her time behind her bed curtains when she got changed during school.  
>She had shrugged it off though, not worrying about it. Fleur and her were seamless together, and that was all that mattered.<p>

-

As Fleur walked towards Hermione's building, coffee cups in hand, she went over their day in her head. She had everything on her cell phone, but her hands were currently occupied. Using Muggle technology had come in handy to them. Using everything it had to offer - from laptops to smart phones - their communication never stopped. It was easier, faster and more private than owls, the Floo network and Patronuses. Fleur was a simple phone call away and it was easy to keep everything together through emails, spreadsheets and the other electronic methods. They had even figured out ways to give presentations to the Ministers using PowerPoint and while some were resistant at first, by the time Hermione was done with a presentation, she had won every single one of them over.

And Fleur just soaked it all in. She just loved being around her energy and positivity. Hermione Granger was a force to be reckoned with and she enjoyed being in the middle of it all. She just couldn't get enough and as busy as her life had turned since getting the job, she wouldn't change it for anything. Not only did she get to travel all over the world, but she had also found an incredibly close friend in the brunette.

One that she sometimes found herself thinking about on her free time. One that she had dreamt about on several occasions. One that impressed her more and more every day with her intelligence and positive way of thinking. And one that had wormed her way into her heart without her noticing it until it was too late.

Did she love the brunette? Of course she did. Was she _in love_ with her? That was the puzzle she was trying to figure out right now and it was a difficult one to solve. So she kept pushing it to the back of her mind or chalking it up to some sort of hero worship. She just kept telling herself she wasn't the only one that found Hermione's brilliance sexy.

It didn't help that they were leaving that night again. Hermione had been invited to be an orator in a conference taking place in New York and they were taking the night flight there. Since Hermione had always wanted to visit that city, Fleur had booked them a few extra days to make sure she got some sightseeing in.

As she let herself into Hermione's well appointed flat, she smiled when she saw the brunette at the counter, her back to Fleur. Wearing black heels, a dark gray pencil skirt and a lace camisole, she looked amazing and Fleur drank in the sight quietly, eyes roaming up and down her body before she could shake herself. This reaction was happening more and more often and she kept wondering if she would ever be brave enough to do something about it or just keep on ignoring it. Her fingers were literally itching to bury themselves in the long curls that ended at the middle of the brunette's back.

Biting back a sigh, she moved closer to her _boss_.

"Morning, 'Ermione. 'Ow long 'ave you been awake?"

Hermione smiled as she turned around. She had smelled the coffee before Fleur had announced her entrance. "Good morning, Fleur. Not too long." She walked over and plucked one of the coffees out of Fleur's hands. "Thank you," she said, taking a long sip. She sighed happily as she swallowed. Perfectly doctored to her tastes, as usual.

Fleur had always been like that, though, almost being able to foresee Hermione's needs before she knew them herself. She liked that about her, and it had only made Fleur even more capable than she already was. She had only had to tell Fleur once or twice how she liked her coffee, and it had been correct every time since.

It amazed her how much information Fleur retained; it was one of the many endearing qualities that Hermione loved about her. She had no idea where she'd be without the other woman, who was one of her best friends, on top of being her personal assistant. She never tired of her company, which she valued greatly. It was bewildering how much time they spent together in both professional and personal capacities, but they were always able to switch between the two.

She walked back to the counter, where she had been buttering her toast. "Did you want something to eat?"

Fleur couldn't help but look down at her silk covered chest. _Why isn't she wearing her suit jacket already?_ she wondered. _It would make my life so much easier if she was._

"No, just coffee for me, ma chérie. I don't want to eat a lot today. It's going to be incredibly busy and I don't want to end up with an upset stomach before we fly."

Putting her coffee on the counter, she opened her bag and took out her blackberry. As Hermione finished her toast, she started going over their day with her.

-

By the time they had made it to the airport, Fleur was beat. She just wanted to sleep the entire flight and hoped Hermione was of the same mind. She was done planning for the day as far as she was concerned.

Checking in was uneventful and soon they were seated in first class, where Fleur immediately took off her heels.

"I'm really 'oping you'll tell me we're going to sleep now."

Hermione was just as exhausted as Fleur sounded, and she slipped her shoes off right after Fleur. "As soon as we're in the air, its bedtime," she said, smiling tiredly.

Despite the fact that they took off smoothly, sleep did not find Hermione. Her eyes were shut, but her mind was going a mile a minute. The day, so far, had gone without a hitch, but it didn't help that her thoughts were elsewhere.

Throughout the day, for some reason, she would catch herself looking at Fleur. She'd write it off as her jewelry caught the light, or she was bringing something to her, but the point was, she kept staring. It was a little strange. This was the sort of thing that she did occasionally when she was with Ron; just staring.

She wondered, briefly, if there was any sort of … attraction, something that would explain why she kept looking at Fleur. She then realized that she had turned her head and opened her eyes to look at Fleur's sleeping form half a second later.

Sighing to herself, she re-settled under the blanket she had been given. She loved Fleur; she was a dear friend and an amazing colleague. But if she _loved_ her …

Hermione had known long ago that gender had very little to do with what attracted her to other people, but this was actually the first time she had felt the pull to someone of her same gender for more than five minutes. That was, however, assuming that this pull was sincere attraction.

She sighed, again. She was just thinking in circles. She shifted, trying to get comfortable so she could fall asleep.

Fleur happen to crack an eye open just as Hermione looked away and she smiled. _Caught you! _she thoughts with a little smile as she grabbed Hermione's hand and squeezed.

"Go to sleep, love, we 'ave a long day ahead of us when we land."

Hermione squeezed Fleur's hand back, seeing the small smile on the blonde's face in her peripheral vision. "I know, I really should sleep," she said, yawning practically on cue. She shifted under the blanket again, trying to get comfortable.

Leaning her head back, she shut her eyes again, willing her mind to stop thinking. It was an impossible request, considering how much she used her brain, but she really needed to sleep.

Knowing she wouldn't sleep, not while her mind was up and going, Fleur lifted the arm rest between them, threw their seats back so they resembled a bed, turned on her side and pulled Hermione to her.

"Close your eyes," she murmured softly as her fingers started playing with Hermione's hair, massaging the scalp softly. "Shut down your mind, sweetheart, and just rest."

Knowing it was working, she pulled Hermione closer to her and kept talking to her softly, fingers in her hair the entire time, until she felt the brunette starting to relax in her arms.

Hermione sighed as Fleur worked her hands into her hair, against her scalp. She immediately felt the bone-deep languor associated with exhausting days, and she felt sleepy already. She could barely hear what the other woman was murmuring, over the hum of the airplane, but it relaxed her all the same.

She leaned back against Fleur's body, wondering idly if they could sleep like this during the flight. This was just another example of how perfect Fleur was as her assistant, and her friend, and she let the feeling of satisfaction be the last one before she gave way to sleep.

Smiling in satisfaction when she noticed the brunette had finally fallen asleep, Fleur wrapped an arm around her middle and joined her in slumber.

-

She woke up before Hermione did and untangled herself from around the brunette. As comfortable as she had been, she knew it might be awkward if they both woke up at the same time. Going into the bathroom, she freshened up and went back outside, asking the flight attendant to let her use their small kitchen to put together Hermione's coffee.

Once she was done with it she walked back to their seats and gently woke the brunette up.

"Sweetheart, coffee is ready," she whispered as she brushed Hermione's hair away from her face. "We're landing in one hour and we 'ave to go over some things."

Why she kept touching her or speaking to her with such sweetness she wasn't sure about. She wasn't sure what had triggered it now. They had been working together for close to two years now and nothing like this had ever happened. She was a little lost but as Hermione stirred, she didn't have time to figure it out anymore.

Hermione stretched as Fleur woke her up. She had slept surprisingly well, considering the fact even first-class airplane seats weren't exactly the most comfortable chairs in the world. She realized that Fleur had turned their seats into a bed-like set up, which was probably the reason why.

She sat up, yawning, and took the coffee that Fleur gave her. Even if it was probably the instant stuff, it tasted fine, thanks to the blonde. Blinking, she looked up at the other woman, who was settling down beside her.

"Let me guess, those things involve going non-stop from the moment we touch the ground to the moment we hit the hotel tonight?" 

"Unfortunately, oui, they do. I'll check us in as soon as we arrive at the 'otel. You will 'ave approximately one hour to get ready and then we'll be gone all day. We 'ave three days like this and then we'll 'ave three days to do whatever you want." At Hermione's look of surprise she raised a hand and shook her head. "I don't want to 'ear a single complaint about it. You need it."

Hermione wasn't surprised to hear about the hectic schedule, but she was surprised that Fleur had booked in a little vacation. "What about everything in London? I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to..." she trailed off as she realized that since Fleur made her schedule, she could manipulate it however she wished. "You're forcing me to take a vacation, aren't you?"

"Caught on, 'ave you?"

Laughing, Fleur took out her phone and started going over their schedule.

-

When they landed and exited the airport, they got into the limo waiting for them and made it quickly to the hotel where an unexpected surprise waited for Fleur. How Hermione reacted to it was going to be interesting.

As they headed over to their room, Fleur just decided to let her look at it before explaining. She ran the card over the reader and opened the door, waving Hermione in. It was a very luxurious suite and Fleur was pleased with it. Hermione looked a little surprised at the opulence since it wasn't their usual.

There was a small sitting area, a desk and the door to the bedroom. As Hermione looked around with a small frown on her face, she pointed at the lone door.

Fleur sighed as she walked over to it and opened it, revealing the very large bed.

"They overbooked the 'otel, which is why we ended up with one of their best suites, but it is only a one bedroom. They 'ave nothing else available to us," she explained with a little shrug.

She just wasn't sure how Hermione was going to react.

Hermione wasn't sure, exactly, how to react. These sorts of things happened all the time; it was just one of the many perils of practically living in hotels. It had just never happened to her, and especially not during a time of mental debate of how she really felt about her personal assistant.

The room was beyond nice, almost ostentatious, but it was welcomed, since they'd be here for almost a week. It was as if the hotel had purposely given them the best suite, just to accommodate for the mere fact they couldn't book a two-bed hotel room properly.

Her lips twitched into a frown, but she supposed it could've been worse. "At least the bed is not a single," she said, the downward turn of her lips morphing into a small smile. She knew it wasn't Fleur's fault, and to be honest, she didn't really mind; it wasn't as if she had slept alone her whole life.

But sleeping in the same bed with Fleur, that would be a different challenge altogether.

Relief flooded through her as Hermione seemed okay with the idea. Had she been able to fix it, she would have, but there was nothing she could do.

"Wonderful! Go get ready and I'll see about more coffee and breakfast."

Turning, she went back out to get their day started.

_A/N: Reviews and/or comments are welcomed!_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Hey, guys, thanks so much for the reviews! We didn't expect so many, but they are lovely. Hope you like this next chapter and keep those comments coming. We love them!_

**Chapter 2**

By the time evening rolled around, Fleur just wanted to have a glass or two of wine and put her feet up. It had been busier than either of them had anticipated and neither had known just how much people had been looking forward to meeting Hermione. While Hermione did her job, Fleur was running around doing hers and making sure everything went smoothly, especially keeping the nosy press away from her. Hermione hated them for the most part and refused to do interviews. They always tried, however and it was one of the hardest parts of Fleur's job.

As they rode the elevator up, she leaned against the wall of it and looked at Hermione.

"I'm glad today is over. Do you mind if I order a bottle of wine? I won't put it on the tab, but I need to wind down. I'm beyond exhausted."

Hermione could hear the tiredness in Fleur's voice, and she knew it would be matched in her own. "Put it on the tab, its fine," she said. "I could use a glass, or four. At least today is over."

The busy pace of the day was unrelenting, and Hermione was just ready to relax. As Fleur led the two of them back into the room, she flopped down ungracefully onto one of the chairs. "Two more days of this to go!"

Fleur took a moment to just look at her, exhausted, but still beautiful. Deciding to make it somewhat better, she disappeared into the room for a bit after ordering a bottle of wine. When she came back out, there was a knock on the door and she went to answer it. Tipping the bellboy, she grabbed the bottle and made quick work of it.

Grabbing one of the glasses, she walked over to Hermione. Instead of handing it to her, she grabbed her hand and pulled her up.

"Come on, darling," she said as she pulled Hermione towards the bedroom. She walked by the bed and into the bathroom, where the tub was filled with warm water and bubbles. Setting the glass by the side, she smiled at Hermione before starting to walk out. "Enjoy."

Hermione had been confused when Fleur had left the room for a few moments, but thought nothing of it. She probably just had to go fetch something from the room. When she came back, she had just let herself be lead around.

"Fleur..." she said softly. She was so dumbfounded that she didn't realize Fleur had done this especially for her until she left the room. "Thanks!" she yelled through the door, and sighed to herself. She couldn't very well invite Fleur into the tub with her...

… why did she think about doing that, anyways?

She shrugged off her clothes and left them in a heap at the foot of the tub. A simple pressing charm and they'd be fine. She slid into the tub, mindful of the glass on the edge, and sighed. Fleur was so good to her, doing things like this.

The hot water relaxing her, as nice as it was, allowed for her mind to wander, and more often than not, her thoughts landed on Fleur. The other woman was nothing but good to her, actually, and sometimes, she wondered what she had done to deserve it. That only led to her thinking more about Fleur, which lead to her thinking about her possible attraction to the blonde.

Feeling her muscles tense up, she realized she was just going against what the bubble bath was supposed to do for her. She sighed, sipping the wine and letting the bubbles fade away.

While Hermione was soaking, Fleur was trying to figure out what to do about night clothes. They never slept in the same room, so she never had to worry about it. Now, sleeping in the nude was going to be an issue. She just never packed pajamas and as she stared down at the suitcase lying on the bed, she wondered what to do.

It didn't occur to her to charm one of her work shirts into a simple gown. It was rather difficult to think when she knew Hermione was behind the door, naked and wet, soaking in the bubble bath she had prepared for her. She could barely keep the images at bay and she bit her lip as she walked out to the sitting area and went straight for the wine.

Since they had a late supper at the event, she didn't bother ordering them anything more to eat, and just took off her heels and suit jacket, grabbed her glass and the bottle and walked out into the balcony. After setting the bottle and glass on the table, she untucked her shirt from her skirt and undid a couple of buttons at the top and bottom. Leaning against the railing, she took a sip of her wine and finally let her mind relax.

Meanwhile, Hermione had finished her bath. Wrapped in a towel, she brought her empty glass out for a refill when she noticed Fleur on the balcony. Fairly sure she was unwinding as well, Hermione left her glass on the table so she could get into some clothes. 

Walking into the bedroom, she noticed Fleur's suitcase opened on the bed, but with nothing else disturbed. _Odd. _Fishing a pair of cotton pants and a threadbare, oversized shirt out of her bag, she changed quickly before padding out, barefoot.

Fleur was still on the balcony, so Hermione went to join her, empty glass in hand. "Thank you for everything today," she said, refilling her glass. "You're just... amazing."

Fleur turned as she heard Hermione come out into the balcony. "It's my job to make sure you're okay. Looks like the bath 'elped."

She still looked a little tired, but better than when they had arrived. She was wishing for a long soak as well and had she had her own room, she would have gone for it, but not this time. A hot shower would have to do.

Turning to look back out at the city lights she smiled. "It's beautiful 'ere."

Hermione followed her line of vision to the cityscape. "Absolutely beautiful. I never would have thought all these lights would look good together, but it does."

She turned back to Fleur, looking at her. The fatigue was still in her face, and she frowned. "Fleur, you should go have a hot bath yourself, or something. You look like you need it."

Fleur nodded and was reminded once more of her little problem. "Um, I don't 'ave anything to sleep in," she blurted, face blushing slightly.

_Well done, Fleur!_

Hermione laughed. "I'm sure we can figure out something, Fleur," she said, not willing to let the idea of Fleur sleeping naked float through her mind. Just another thing to challenge her thoughts of whether or not she was attracted to Fleur.

"Why don't you go take a shower I'll see if I have anything for you?" she suggested. She probably could use the alone time to sort out her thoughts, anyways.

Fleur nodded, thanked her softly and went back inside the suite. The only thing she grabbed before going into the bathroom were her toiletries and her short, silk robe. She stood under the hot spray for as long as she could, letting the water wash away the day and stress. She even washed her hair, which made her feel even better.

Knowing she had been in there a while, she finished and stepped out of the shower. After drying herself, she put on her scented body lotion, towel dried her hair and put on the robe after brushing her teeth. Still drying her hair a little more, she walked into the room and looked up to see Hermione sitting on the bed going over some papers.

"Put those away," she ordered softly. "You're done for today."

Plucking the offending papers from her hands, she tsk'd and put them away.

The night had started to turn chilly, and Hermione had come inside, bottle of wine in hand. The two of them had killed about two thirds of the bottle, and she wondered if it would be so bad to just finish it altogether.

She heard the water run, and she was glad that Fleur had taken up her suggestion. She didn't know, however, how else she felt about the blonde, or how she should feel otherwise. She wasn't even sure if Fleur liked women, for heaven's sake.

Over the course of the day, she had realized that her attraction towards Fleur was real. She had caught herself watching her, juggling schedules and interview requests and everything else, and the sheer admiration she had for her seemed to have manifested into something else.

She wasn't sure if she wanted to even think about this when Fleur was just a room away, naked and dripping wet. She hadn't even seen a hint of what the other woman looked like under her clothes!

Sighing, she shuffled out some papers to read over, just to get her mind grounded again. Whenever she thought about Fleur, her mind seemed to run away with her.

She was startled, however, when Fleur had taken the papers away. If she hadn't had a clue of what Fleur looked like under her clothes, she had more than a hint now. She swallowed as she saw the creamy skin exposed by the robe's panels, and her legs went on forever. Dumbly, she just let Fleur tsk at her, mind catching up a second later. It was still hung up on those legs.

"Fine, fine, I'm done for the day. I'm sorry, I didn't even look for anything for you to wear."

"It's okay. I'll just transfigure something. Since we don't ever share rooms, my tendencies to sleep in the nude were never a problem before, but I'll be better prepared next time," she explained nonchalantly as she rummaged through her suitcase for something to work with.

Taking a spaghetti strap, lace trimmed camisole, she charmed it so it was longer and turned her back to Hermione, dropping the robe and quickly putting on the silky gown over her head. Turning around, she blushed at the look on Hermione's face and what she had just done without even thinking suddenly hit her.

"Je suis désolé!"

Hermione's hand slid down to the blankets, gripping the bedding as Fleur shed her robe. She hadn't realized exactly how liberal Fleur was with her inhibitions, as proved by her shedding her robe after charming the camisole. She noticed Fleur wasn't wearing knickers either, and her palms broke out into a sweat. Eyes quickly averting to the floor, she tried to shut out the image of the naked expanse of Fleur's back.

"It's fine, don't worry," Hermione said hastily. "Are you decent now?"

Fleur felt her face burning at Hermione's question. "I am and I'm truly sorry," she said again as she closed the suitcase and placed it along the wall, all the while calling herself every name she could think of in her mind. Of all the things she could have done to fuck this up, she chooses to undress in front of Hermione without notice. She could have kicked her own arse. Pulling the covers down, she lay on the bed and pulled them back up to her chin.

"I'll be a better roommate tomorrow, I promise."

Too embarrassed, she reached over to the lamp, turned it off and turned on her side, back to Hermione. "Good night," she whispered.

Hermione was a little startled at Fleur's overly apologetic ways, but she supposed she was just trying to make up for her nonchalant nature. "Don't apologize, its fine. Fleur, I spent seven years in a girls' dormitory. It's fine!" she said, almost too enthusiastic now.

She clicked the bedside lamp off on her side, the room falling into darkness. "Good night, Fleur," she said quietly. They were on opposite sides of the bed, a clear eighteen inches between them. The distance might have been a mile, as far as she was concerned. Sighing, she rolled over to sleep.

-

Fleur woke up naturally to a still dark room, like she did every morning, but something was off. A small headache greeted her and she blinked her eyes several times to clear the fog from her brain. Nestling more comfortably against the body in her arms, she tried to figure out where she was. As her eyes adjusted and she looked around the room, she knew she wasn't home. On second thought, there shouldn't be anyone in her _bed_, either, let alone in her _arms_. Taking a deep breath, she looked down and was met with the sight of chestnut curls scattered all over her upper body.

_Hermione_, she thought immediately, wondering when she had turned over and had snuggled against her. She hadn't even known Hermione was a snuggler. _And a good one that that_, she thought as she noticed just how closely their bodies were intertwined. The brunette's face was buried in her neck, arm around her waist and leg nestled over Fleur's naked thigh.

Sometime during the night Fleur had turned to sleep on her back and Hermione had turned naturally into her. Something else she noticed was that her make-shift robe had ridden up to the top of her thighs, exposing all of her legs. Fleur had one arm wrapped securely around the brunette's back and the other was resting over the one around her waist.

All in all, it would be next to impossible to get up without waking up the other woman. Looking to the side, she noticed they still had almost two hours before they actually had to get up. Sighing softly, she kissed the top of Hermione's head, held her a little closer and closed her eyes again, letting the lull of sleep take her under again.

An hour later, the sun had peeked through the curtains and Hermione's eyes opened on reflex. The brightness was alarming at first, but it was nowhere near as startling as the fact that she and Fleur had somehow wound themselves around each other during the night. Their arms were around each other, and their legs had tangled together during the night. Hermione could feel Fleur's soft skin, warmed by the shared body heat and blankets, and she couldn't help but marvel in her head at how nice it felt.

Hermione wasn't used to cuddling, but it was surprisingly pleasant for her, once the surprise had ebbed away. She tried to move away, but they were both firmly attached. If she moved any more, she would have woken Fleur up. She looked so peaceful, sleeping, and she didn't want to disturb that.

Twisting her head around to look at the clock, she realized there was still about an hour left of rest. Remembering how tired she was the night before, she shut her eyes and let her head rest back in the crook of Fleur's neck, as there was nowhere else to rest.

When the alarm went off, Fleur slowly came awake, finding herself in the same position as before. As Hermione stirred in her arms, instead of feeling bad about it, she actually tightened them around her, one hand coming up to brush the curls away from her face. Placing a kiss on her forehead, she smiled.

"Good morning, 'Ermione," she whispered. "Sleep well?"

If she treated this as natural, she decided, they could just get up and nothing much would be read into it. Or at least, she hoped so.

Hermione had fallen asleep quite quickly after she had woken up the first time, so it was harder for her to wake up. She felt what she thought was Fleur's lips ghost across her forehead, but she had to be mistaken. Fleur didn't kiss her, at all.

She realized that she was still in Fleur's arms, and she was surprised that she didn't feel awkward at all. "Morning, Fleur," she said softly, voice not completely adjusted for wakefulness. "I did, how about you?"

She slowly let go of Fleur and rolled away, but she made no move to leave the bed. The blankets were too tempting to stay under, and she decided it wouldn't hurt to lie there.

"Better than I 'ave in a while," she confessed.

As Hermione moved away from her, she immediately missed her warmth but decided this was probably best. Getting up, she smiled at her boss.

"I'll go make breakfast arrangements while you get ready."

She left before Hermione could say otherwise. She needed to put space between them before she forgot there were lines that should not be crossed.

Hermione yawned as Fleur left the room. "Thanks, Fleur!" she called after her, taking the extra moment to relax.

She stared up at the ceiling and sighed. Waking up with Fleur twisted around her had felt good, but was she ready to acknowledge how good? She didn't think so. These … feelings … had turned into something that Hermione had to think about.

She sighed, and got out of bed. Maybe getting her day started would help her stop thinking. Wrapping her robe around her, she went to go see Fleur in the sitting room.

She was just hanging up the phone when Hermione came out of the room and Fleur sighed softly. She wasn't sure if she was ready to talk to her yet, what with her feelings all raw and her head full of thoughts that all revolved around the brunette. She had enjoyed waking up to her a lot more than she would have thought and she didn't know what to do about it.

Looking up at her, she tried a smile. It was probably strained, but it was the best she could manage. "I've ordered breakfast. I'm going to go shower really quick so I can get started on our day. If it gets 'ere before I come out, could you please 'andle it? I know it's my job, but I'm trying to get a jump on the day."

_And now you're babbling like a fool, Fleur. Just walk away_, she chided herself.

Hermione's brows knit together as Fleur looked up at her. She seemed a bit stressed, which was surprising, considering it was only quarter to seven. Either something had gone awry ordering the breakfast, or she was feeling bogged down by something.

"Fleur, I'm sure I can handle receiving our breakfast. Its fine, and please don't rush - I'd rather you take the time to relax now before we get thrown into what I am sure is going to be a ridiculously busy day."

As the blonde swept off to the bathroom, Hermione's brow only furrowed more in worry. Why was Fleur being so strange? She was almost overly accommodating one day and completely uptight the next. Hermione hoped she hadn't been putting too much stress on the other woman. Really, she was capable of ordering her own breakfast...

Sighing at the knock of the door, she went to go let the waiter in. Tipping him, she wheeled the cart to the sitting room, and waited for Fleur. It was impolite not to, and a simple warming charm would take care of the food. She walked back into the bedroom and started to debate about what to wear.

As Fleur walked out of the bathroom, she wasn't looking up, but at her nails, making sure the polish was still perfect. This is how she ended up bumping into Hermione, losing her balance and both of them tipping over onto the bed, with her falling on top of the brunette.

"Merde," she murmured.

It had been one thing to cuddle with Hermione on the bed, but another to be lying on top of her, the top of her robe parting and giving her a bit of a show. "Je suis désolé," she murmured.

_Get up_, she ordered herself. _Come on, Fleur, get _up!

_At least Fleur was light,_ Hermione thought, as the blonde laid on top of her. Her eyes flickered down to where her robe was gaping open. The smooth expanse of porcelain skin had her biting her lip and she shifted her eyes to the side, trying not to stare.

She looked back up at Fleur, who was apologizing softly. "Don't worry about it, its fine. No harm done, honestly," she said, edging out from under Fleur. She felt the loss of her body heat just as sharply as she had when they woke up this morning, something she wasn't accustomed to as well.

She sighed, sitting back up on the bed. She had no idea what the heck was going on, but she had no patience right now to figure it out.

Calling herself every name she could think of for never actually getting up, Fleur sat up as well, fixed her robe and got up. As she was walking back to the bathroom, she turned for a second to look back at Hermione.

"This isn't working. I'll see about getting another room for myself, even if it's at another 'otel for the remainder of our stay 'ere."

Shutting the bathroom door behind her, she leaned against it and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Once again, thanks so much for the reviews. We love them, especially the ones that were pleading for Hermione not to let Fleur go. Hope you like this chapter as well and we'd love to know what you t__hink of it. As this was supposed to be a one-shot that turned a little longer, there is only one more chapter left._

**Chapter 3**

There was no use denying it anymore. Anytime she was near the brunette as of late made her lose her edge, her concentration and she couldn't keep going like that or she would fail at her job. Hermione depended on her too much for that.

Having brought her clothes with her into the bathroom earlier, she got ready quickly, did her make-up and exited the bathroom to find Hermione still sitting there. Knowing she couldn't stay in her presence anymore for a bit, she grabbed her briefcase and walked over to the bedroom door.

"I 'ave some inquires to make. Meet you in the lobby in about one hour."

Hermione sighed, still not knowing what was going on with Fleur. On top of all of the confusion, she was going to leave? She couldn't let the blonde do that. She needed her too much.

And that's when it struck Hermione. She needed Fleur. _Always_.

Regardless of how independent Hermione could be, Fleur had wormed her way into Hermione's life, and somehow, maybe into her heart. For some reason, she couldn't stand the thought of Fleur leaving her.

If she had been confused before, it was all clear to her now. She liked Fleur, needed her, _wanted_ her.

Fleur had emerged from the bathroom and was quickly walking out of the bedroom, saying something about making inquiries. Hermione didn't care if she actually did; she had to make this right now.

"Fleur, stop. I want to talk to you."

She had never expected Hermione to react. Had never thought she would want to talk. Talking was no good in her present state of mind. Talking could be dangerous. She had too much on her plate, too many things to take care of so Hermione's life ran smoothly. No, talking was no good.

And yet, she stopped walking the second Hermione spoke to her, even turning around to face her. She couldn't tell what was swirling in her chocolate eyes, couldn't tell what she was thinking by her body language. She hated not being able to read her, it irritated her to no end that she was feeling so lost, so miserable.

"Is there anything you need, _boss_?"

_That's brilliant, Fleur_, she congratulated herself. _Keep it business like and everything will be fine._

She felt a chill shoot down her spine at Fleur's tone. She'd never heard Fleur so stoic, so cold, before, and she didn't like it at all. Fleur seemed distant now, and she knew it wouldn't bode well for what she wanted to talk about.

She wasn't even sure if she wanted to talk. She just knew she had to stop Fleur from going through that door.

She summoned all of her courage, and took a deep breath. "What is going on with you, Fleur? You're so... hot and cold these days. Am I overworking you? Have I been too inconsiderate of something else? I really want to know." She twisted the bedding between her hands, needing something to do.

"Please, Fleur, put down the briefcase. I am sure your inquiries can wait. Breakfast is waiting for you, as well, on the cart. I kept it warm for you."

Hermione's questions were her undoing as she dropped the case down by the door and leaned on its frame. That, topped with the fact that the brunette had kept her breakfast warm for her and had waited to eat with her made Fleur's heart flutter inside of her chest. Another bad sign.

It never ceased to amaze her how very whipped she had become, her entire life revolving mostly around the brunette's. And not because Hermione was some sort of slave driver - that couldn't be further from the truth - but because it made her happy to be around her, help her and make her life easier. Hermione deserved that and more after everything she had accomplished.

Others wanted something from the younger woman at all times. Especially her attention and smarts. Some wanted to take advantage of the power she seemed to have now. But Fleur? The blonde just wanted her to be happy. _As if that wasn't telling in and of itself_, she thought in despair. Leaning her head back against the frame, she crossed her legs at the ankles, wrapped her arms around her middle and closed her eyes.

"No, you're not overworking me at all. I do everything I do because it makes your life easier and there is no one more deserving. What you do for all of us, 'Ermione, is something no words could ever properly describe. If I can make the demands of your job easier on you, I'm 'appy to do so." A shuddering breath, then: "Making you 'appy makes _me_ 'appy."

She opened her eyes after a few seconds of silence and chanced a look at the brunette. She still looked sort of confused, maybe even surprised, and Fleur knew now was not the time to talk about whatever it was that was happening between them.

"Come, let's eat. We 'ave a really busy day ahead and we won't make it back until late evening." At Hermione's pointed look, she nodded. "I promise we will talk, but now is not the _right_ time. We need to concentrate on work the next couple of days and when work is done, maybe we can take a stroll through Central Park if you'd like and sort things out."

Extending her hand to Hermione, she waited.

Hermione took Fleur's hand, letting her lead her back into the sitting room so they could eat. While she still was mildly surprised at Fleur's reaction, she knew that it was better for them to talk about whatever was going on at a later time. "I'm glad you aren't feeling overworked, though," she said absently as they walked through the room.

Just because they were going to talk about it at a later time, however, didn't mean that Hermione couldn't think about it now. As she sat down to start eating, she half-listened to Fleur, who was alternating running through her schedule and nibbling at toast. Most of her brain power was concentrating on sorting this whole thing out.

Hermione ticked off a few points in her head: Fleur's happiness depended on her happiness, Fleur was willing to do basically anything necessary to keep her happy, and she was happy to do essentially anything for Hermione.

If she didn't know any better, it sounded like Fleur _liked_ her. Could it be? After all, if Hermione was in a bad mood, she sometimes projected the grumpiness on Fleur, which was usually from work-related causes. They could both be invested in their work, that's all.

It didn't explain, however, the last two points.

Hermione sighed softly as she ate her last bite of toast. "I need to get dressed, I'll be back in a few moments," she said, and excused herself from the room.

_Wonderful_, Fleur thought as Hermione walked away. Y_ou're doing a brilliant job handling this, Delacour, simply brilliant!_

Every thought dripped with sarcasm as she dropped her piece of toast on the place and got up from the table. She wasn't even hungry anymore and neither was she in a pleasant mood. Walking out into the balcony to wait for Hermione, she closed her eyes and focused herself. Pushing away all worries and thoughts of whatever was going on to the back of her mind, she fully concentrated on the day ahead. In doing so, she was able to compose herself so that when Hermione was finally done, she was back in her professional persona as if nothing had happened.

And that is what she did for the next couple of days. The subject wasn't touched on once. Both nights, she waited until Hermione fell asleep on her side before getting up and sleeping on the couch, which she expanded and made even more comfortable. Getting up a little earlier than usual, she got back into the bed before Hermione woke up so she wouldn't feel like Fleur was avoiding her. It also made her life easier. No way would she have been able to wake up wrapped around the brunette two mornings in a row and be expected to act nonchalant and be able to function properly.

Once it was over, they went to a celebratory dinner that lasted until late, and by the time they got back to the hotel, it was past midnight. Fleur was beyond exhausted and she showered and lay in bed immediately after. By the time Hermione got into bed, Fleur had already fallen asleep.

The next morning, as she started waking up and her senses came alive, she noticed the warmth of Hermione's body pressed tightly against her once more and it hit her then that she had never gotten up. Like the first morning, they were wrapped all over each other and Fleur couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so relaxed and happy. Brushing a curl from Hermione's face, she kissed her forehead and smiled down at the sleeping woman.

What was the use of denying it anymore? As her fingers played with the curls softly, she finally accepted the fact that somewhere along their journey, she had fallen hard for the brunette.

Hermione had been enjoying the fact that she could have a five minute lie in after Fleur woke her up, but it seemed to her that Fleur was not enjoying the same luxury. She was always awake before Hermione, as usual, but the brunette had noticed the bed was barely touched on the other side. It was as if Fleur slept like a log, but there was one detail that put a snag in that theory: the bed was always ice cold. Either Fleur had woken up a lot earlier, or she hadn't slept there altogether.

When she lazily woke up on their first morning of the actual vacation, eyes refusing to open, she realized that the bed was a lot warmer. She shifted, and she felt Fleur's body flush against her own, just like it had been the first morning. The sensation was so good that she forgot about everything else for a brief moment, and snuggled in against Fleur.

In the next moment, she felt Fleur's lips graze her forehead. The blonde's slim hands were in her hair, and in that moment, Hermione would have given up a_ lot _of gold to make this moment last.

She knew that they couldn't stay in entangled for much longer before something gave, so she feigned a slow wake-up. "Morning," she mumbled, rolling onto her back next to Fleur.

As Hermione stirred awake, Fleur's fingers stopped and she moved her hand away, letting the brunette roll over to her back. Turning on her side, she faced her and gave her a tiny smile. "Good morning, 'Ermione. Did you sleep well?"

She decided she didn't want to push her away anymore. She wasn't going to pursue her or make her feelings obvious, but she wasn't going to just run away in the opposite direction, either. If something was to happen between them she had to stop putting up ice walls or distance between them. She had to be her usual self - someone she knew Hermione appreciated.

"Feels good to just enjoy a few minutes in bed without 'aving to get up to run everywhere, doesn't it? I'm glad I thought of doing this for you, and in turn, myself. We really could use a few days of relaxation. I 'aven't even made any plans for the next couple of days, so just tell me what you want to do and I'll take care of it. I'd recommend a Broadway show, a visit to some of the museums, pizza and pretzels from the street vendors and just exploring the city. A 'orse drawn carriage ride through Central Park is also nice."

Snuggling deeper under the covers, she smiled at how nice and warm she felt, in comparison to the previous mornings when she had woken up alone and cold. It was rather comfortable being next to the brunette and Fleur closed her eyes and soaked it all in before the reality of their situation set in. Who would have thought she'd fall so hard for the intelligent woman next to her? Who would have though smarts would be the one thing to bring her to her knees? Hermione Granger was a force to be reckoned with alright, one her heart and mind had not been able to resist.

"I did sleep well, I hope you did too," Hermione said, yawning. "Right this second, though, I don't want to do anything but sleep." She rolled onto her side so she could face Fleur. "Everything you just listed sounds amazing though," she said sleepily.

Fleur was still so invested in their trip, wanting to make it perfect, and Hermione was grateful... mostly. Even though Fleur wanted her to relax, it seemed to Hermione that Fleur was willing to give up her own relaxation so she could have a good vacation. She hoped the blonde would be able to stop being her personal assistant for the next couple days, and just be her friend.

Or maybe more?

Hermione still hadn't quite sorted through her feelings, but she knew that at the end of it all, it would end with her affections for Fleur going beyond friendship. And while she was okay with that, she didn't know if Fleur was. What Hermione wasn't okay with was the fact that she didn't want to test if Fleur was - it seemed likely to her that Fleur would not be receptive.

She sighed, and edged closer to Fleur. She wanted to be warm while she slept for another half hour.

"I'm glad you slept well. You needed it." Brushing some curls back from her face, Fleur smiled. "Those things can wait until a little later. If you want to sleep, go ahead. No one is waiting for us."

Because she couldn't resist touching her anymore, because she liked her warmth and for a multitude of other reasons she was afraid to explore, Fleur pulled the brunette closer to her, letting her snuggle into her side.

"Sleep now, ma belle," she whispered before kissing her forehead once more and closing her eyes.

Maybe when they woke up again things would seem easier.

-

Hermione woke up, but she still felt groggy. Blinking, she twisted her head towards the alarm, and realized that the two of them had slept longer than the hypothetical half hour. It had been almost two hours, in reality.

Remembering they had nothing set in stone for the day, she took her time waking up, snuggling instinctively one more time into Fleur before slowly disentangling herself. The cocoon of body heat had been most welcome, and she was loathing leaving it too soon. She ended up keeping an arm slung around the other woman, but had managed to separate the tangle of legs underneath the sheets.

She sighed softly, recalling vaguely Fleur kissing her forehead as she had fallen back asleep. It was obvious to her, now, that she liked the blonde, perhaps more than she should - the snuggling should have told her as much. What she wanted to do about it was another story.

Fleur was stirring in her arms, and she watched as the blonde squirmed, trying to hang on to the last vestiges of sleep. "Morning, Fleur."

She heard the greeting as if from far away, her brain still not fully grasping where she was or who was talking to her. She just knew she was warm, comfortable and that someone had their arm wrapped around her middle. Instinctively, she moved closer to said warmth, face burrowing into the warm and soft skin of her neck, nuzzling it with her nose.

"Morning," she murmured and took a slow breath of the other woman before placing a kiss on her neck. "This feels nice," she mumbled and she continued to press little kisses everywhere she could reach.

She was moving on autopilot it seemed, because she still had no clear idea of who she was kissing, but she knew it was someone she cared about if they were this close, in bed and together. She wondered where Hermione had gone to and that's when it _hit_ her.

The now stiff body next to hers had to be that of the brunette's. How she had fallen back asleep and so deeply that she had forgotten her surroundings and who's bed she was sharing was beyond her and now, mortified, she started moving away from her, eyes downcast until she was fully sitting, her back to Hermione. Lowering her face, she covered it with her hands and tried to get her brain to function so she could come up with a plausible explanation as to what she had just done.

She couldn't very well blurt out that she had feelings for the other woman, or that she had touched her instinctively because she'd been wanting to for months now it seemed. She could ruin their awesome friendship, lose her job, and make this uncomfortable.

Sighing, she placed her hands on her knees.

"We can't keep going like this, 'Ermione. I can't do this anymore," she confessed softly.

Hermione was taken aback. What did Fleur mean, she couldn't do this anymore? What did she mean by _this_? Was she afraid of what she might have said to the blonde? True, while being greeted with a gentle showering of kisses along her neck was a little strange, Hermione wouldn't have pushed her away.

_She wouldn't have pushed her away._

Fleur had turned away from her now, and she knew that if she made one false move, everything could be worse than it already was, or so it seemed. Hermione didn't want Fleur to be so distraught.

She sat up as well, and crawled over so she could sit behind Fleur. She didn't want to touch her - that would probably just spook both of them. So she settled behind her, shoulder almost touching Fleur's back.

"Don't worry about … yeah …" She didn't want to call it an incident or anything - all of those words had sounded too negative for what Hermione had felt about Fleur's lips on her neck - but the fact that she couldn't find a word only diminished her confidence.

But not too much.

"Fleur, what do you mean? What can't you do anymore?" She had a hunch that she knew what the blonde had been referencing - which was everything, really - but she wanted to hear it for herself.

Sighing, Fleur decided to go with the truth. Even if it ruined everything between them, she had no choice but to be honest.

"I don't know 'ow or when it 'appened, 'Ermione, but I've developed certain _feelings_ for you. They go beyond friendship and I find myself wanting things with you I never thought possible. There is something about you that draws me in and I can't fight it anymore. I 'ave tried, I _promise_ you, but nothing 'elps. And now that I 'ave shared your bed, I know the draw is impossible to fight. Which is 'ow we ended up cuddled together. It's as if my body gravitates towards yours instinctively and when my inhibitions are down, like just now, I do what feels natural."

Another deep breath, shoulders hunched in defeat.

"I understand this puts you in a difficult position and I will resign from my job to make things easier. You don't need the added pressure of knowing 'ow I feel and worrying if I will keep on crossing the lines. I'll sleep on the sofa the next couple of nights and when we go back to London, I will keep 'elping you until you find a suitable replacement. I'll even work on forgetting 'ow I feel so we can salvage our friendship because it means the world to me."

Getting up, she started walking towards the living area. "I'm sorry I'm doing this to you on the days you're supposed to be relaxing," she said softly as she exited the bedroom.

Not caring about the skimpy robe she was wearing, she walked out into the balcony and leaned against the rail, fingers gripping the handrail so tightly her knuckles turned white.

"You're so _stupid_," she chided herself furiously.

-


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: It's so funny reading some of the review you leave us! Thanks for them. This is the last chapter. We write as inspiration strikes and as of now, this story is done. We can't deny nor confirm there will be a smutty epilogue. We're working on something h/f, but we don't know if it will fall into place with this one or become a one-shot or another multi-chapter story. We usually write several times a week without plans in mind. Things just flow naturally and that's the way we like it. For now, though, we're glad you enjoyed this one and we loved sharing it with you all. Let us know what you think!_

**Chapter 4**

Hermione, meanwhile, had only been able to stare, dumbfounded, as Fleur walked away. She was completely taken aback; she never would have imagined that the other woman had felt the same pull she had been feeling.

Though this made some things easier, it also made some other things harder. Fleur had a point, this was a precarious position, but Hermione would never dream of letting her resign. The blonde was too good at her job, and there was no one else that could be trusted the way she was.

She wasn't sure if she should go after her immediately; maybe Fleur would want some space to think about it. Even though her head wasn't sure, her instincts told her to _run_, not walk, after her.

Striding quickly to the patio, she found Fleur leaning on the rail, head bowed. The blonde was probably deep in thought, and Hermione didn't want to startle her. She leaned against the doorway to the patio, wrapping her arms around her to keep her warm. She was only wearing a tank top and her underwear, and it was a little chilly, twenty stories above the city.

"Fleur," she said carefully, "I know exactly what you mean. I've been... feeling it too."

She inhaled deeply, holding her breath to wait for the blonde to turn around.

As Hermione spoke, Fleur's body trembled in relief. _She feels the same_, she thought in awe. _Hermione feels the same way I do. Oh, Circe, what are we going to do now?_

Turning around slowly, she let her eyes roam hungrily over her scantily clad body, lingering on her legs and imagining how they would feel wrapped around her. Shaking herself, she tried to concentrate on the issue at hand.

"You do?" she asked, seeking confirmation. "Because as wonderful as that is to 'ear, it also complicates things a little bit for us." She looked over Hermione's shoulder for a moment, lost in thought. "Although, things could keep going as they are, we can remain professional while working and explore the rest when we're on our own free time," she mused out loud.

Hermione felt Fleur's eyes on her, and couldn't help feel a small tug inside her, her organs twisting slightly at the look on the blonde's face. It was _hungry_, if she had to put a word on it, and she didn't know if she should be happy or not that she didn't put on pants before coming out here.

"I do," she said, voice surprisingly steady. "I do feel the same way."

She watched Fleur's eyes flicker to the side, her expression melting to thoughtful. "It may complicate things, yes," she acknowledged, "but I trust you, and I trust that you can remain professional when the situation calls for it."

"Of course I can remain professional. It's not like I want to stop working for you, 'Ermione. I truly enjoy my job," she assured the brunette.

She felt it was a bit safer to approach now, and she joined Fleur on the patio, not minding the fact she was dressed in little to nothing. They were twenty stories up, and Hermione had bathing suits that covered less than what she had on anyways. She slid up beside her; they were touching, shoulder to shoulder, but Hermione made no attempt to bring her closer. She looked out at the city for a moment, and she felt Fleur's body turn to face hers now.

As their shoulders brushed, Fleur relaxed even more. Not all was lost. They both felt the same way apparently, so it was just a matter of putting their heads together and figuring things out. She was sure they could do it.

Still looking out at the city, Hermione said, half to herself, "I have no idea how it happened either. One day everything was fine and the next I realized I don't know what I would do without you..." Straightening up, she looked at Fleur. "And I still don't know," she said softly. "What I do know, though, is that I need you."

"I don't know when it started for me, either. One moment I was admiring your intelligence, 'ow brilliant you were about everything you tried and the next thing I know, those feelings of admiration were morphing into something much bigger. It 'appened over time, slowly, and I didn't notice until recently," she explained, hoping Hermione could tell that what she was feeling had grown over time and wasn't likely to go away.

Smiling at her, she covered Hermione's hand on the railing. "I need you, too. So much it scares me sometimes, but I don't want to turn my back on it, or _you_, anymore." Looking away again, she took a shaky breath. "What do you want to do about it?"

Hermione felt Fleur's hand on top of hers, and she turned her own hand the other way so she could grasp it. Interlacing their fingers, she smiled at how well they fit together before looking at Fleur. The blonde was looking away, but Hermione knew Fleur would be listening.

She tried not to react outwardly when Hermione laced their fingers together, but inside, she was filled with joy. To her, this was a positive sign and she wished with all of her heart that they were able to come to a decision that would benefit both of them.

"It's clear we work well already," Hermione said slowly, wheels still turning in her mind, "so maybe... let's just see?"

"We do work very well together, 'Ermione. We complement each other perfectly. It's a good give and take, a nice balancing act with 'ow 'ectic your schedule can be." Smiling slightly, she nodded. "Oui, let's just see," she finished, repeating Hermione's statement.

What they would end up _seeing_ she had no idea, but she hoped it was a bright future. 

Silent for a moment, she watched Fleur watch the city below. She leaned in, kissing Fleur on the cheek to test the waters. "I don't know what to do, but I know I don't want to do anything _without_ you."

The kiss and the statement that followed it melted Fleur into a puddle and she had to keep herself from just turning and kissing her. Where the sudden desire had come from, she had no idea, but it was there all the same. Instead, she nodded.

"I don't want to do anything without you, either, 'Ermione. Most of my life revolves around yours anyways, so it would seem odd to stop that now." Finally turning to look at her sideways, she smiled. "Would you like to spend the day with me exploring the city? I was given tickets to a couple of shows and we 'ave dinner reservations for tonight at a nice restaurant in Manhattan. Maybe we could consider it a sort of _trial_ date?" she finished nervously.

Hermione's eyes finally met Fleur's, and she could see everything she had wanted see. Some optimism, a lot of caring, and just an undertone of desire that had her stomach swelling with butterflies. She knew, somehow, that this was going to work out, at least for now; it was just going to take a little time.

"It's not a sort of trial date, it's a _date_," she said, squeezing Fleur's hand softly. The two of them stayed like that a moment longer, before Hermione shivered. The morning was breezy, and it didn't help they were high up and hardly dressed either.

"Let's go inside and get ready," she suggested. "I want to explore with you."

She realized, a beat later, that her words had multiple meanings, but she meant every single one of them.

Amazed at all Hermione had said, she allowed the brunette to pull her into the room without much of a fight. A day of just exploring what the city had to offer without worrying about deadlines, meetings and people seemed almost too good to be true and she wasn't about to waste it.

"I like the way that sounds, ma chérie."

As they entered the room, Fleur let go of her hand and went for her suitcase. Opening it on top of the bed, she pulled out a pair of jeans, her favorite black flats and a white oxford shirt. Lacy, white lingerie was thrown on top of the outfit as she zipped the case back up and set it on the floor.

Looking towards Hermione, she noticed her eyes straying towards the lingerie and she smiled inwardly before picking up her things and heading towards the bathroom.

"I won't be long."

"Better not be," Hermione muttered as Fleur swept off. Now that she knew what Fleur was wearing under her clothes, the instinctual part of her wouldn't stop thinking about it.

-

The day started with the Natural History Museum, the two of them quietly walking through room after room of Muggle history. Somewhere in between the dinosaurs and the geological exhibit did their fingers find each other, but neither of them noticed until they had finished walking through the human origins exhibit when they tried to walk in opposite directions.

Both of them blushed slightly, but neither of them let go. By an unspoken agreement, they went to the right and continued on, still holding hands.

When they emerged from the building, it was a lot brighter. Hermione didn't know how much time they had spent in the museum, but she guessed it had been at least a couple hours. "Did you have anything in mind that you wanted to do next?"

Walking around the museum - holding hands with Hermione, no less - had been an incredible experience. She'd never seen anything like it, the exhibits so real it was hard to believe they wouldn't move at any moment. More than glad they had gone in, she smiled as they walked out. Lowering her sunglasses to shade her eyes from the bright sun, she looked across the entrance towards Central Park.

"We can walk in there for a bit. Maybe do that carriage ride? Or we can 'ead over to 42nd street and figure out if we want to catch the show we 'ave tickets for or see something else. As long as we're doing whatever _together_, I'm 'appy, 'Ermione."

Realizing she was sounding like a total sap, Fleur shut her mouth and smiled sheepishly at her companion as she started down the steps.

Hermione returned Fleur's small smile with one of her own. Everything was already so easy, so natural. She should've known that it'd be this way, since they were already seamless professionally.

"Let's go see what tickets we have? I'm curious," Hermione suggested. The two of them took a cab down, both of them looking out the windows at the sights they were passing by.

The cab ride seemed short, and before they knew it, they were at one of the many box offices, Hermione waiting patiently as Fleur insisted she look into the tickets herself. Loitering on the curb, she watched the hustle of the city.

Fleur enjoyed the cab ride, still surprised at how much she was enjoying being a Muggle. They really had some amazing things going for them. After insisting on picking up the tickets herself, she made the line, gave the attendant her name and she was given more choices than she had planned on getting. Not sure what to choose, she asked the lady to explain a little about each to her, trying to not sound like an idiot.

The moment the name Wicked was given and the mention of witches, she knew they would get a kick out of it and just told her she'd take that one. Since they had an hour to go before the show, she figured they'd have a small bite to eat before it started. Walking over to Hermione with a smile on her face she presented the tickets.

"You won't believe this, darling!" she started with a smile. "They 'ave a show about _witches_!"

Hermione laughed. "I can't wait to see what Muggles think of us," she said, lowly so they wouldn't be overheard. Louder, she added, "Sounds like it would be fun!" She took the tickets to see the name of the musical. Catching sight of the start time, she looked at her watch and realized that they had spent more time in the museum than she had previously thought.

"Why don't we go get something to eat? We don't have too long before show time," she suggested. The two of them walked up and down the street, looking at different hole-in-the-wall places and food carts before settling on grilled sandwiches from a food cart.

Somehow, in between wiping their hands and lining up for the show, their hands found each other again, and Hermione felt the butterflies in her stomach start to come alive again.

Had Fleur known things with Hermione would be so perfect, she would have confessed how she felt before now. They were so good together; walking around holding hands like it was the most natural thing in the world, falling flawlessly into their new role.

As they settled inside the theater, Fleur's hand moved to rest naturally on Hermione's thigh. "I 'ope you enjoy the show," she whispered in her ear before settling in to watch.

"I know I will," she said back before the lights dimmed.

As it turned out, it was very entertaining. She could hear Fleur scoff at Elphaba being green - "Silly Muggles," she had whispered into Hermione's ear - but in truth, she was close to snickering as well. All in all though, the musical was very entertaining.

Two and a half hours later, as the lights brightened again, Hermione blinked and turned to Fleur, smiling broadly. "That was really good," she said. She had been impressed with the talent, the Muggle effects, and the fact that she had completely forgotten about everything but the musical in front of her.

She stood, stretching, and held out a hand to Fleur to help her up. Squeezing her hand softly, she kept their hand holding up as they left the theatre. "What did you feel like doing now?" she asked. The sun was setting, but it was still warm, and the lights of the city made it still seem like daylight.

"That was wonderful," Fleur admitted as they walked out of the theater. "I never would 'ave imagined liking a Muggle musical so much, but I wouldn't mind watching another one!" Looking around them, she noticed more people were walking around than before and she didn't feel like going back to the hotel just yet. "'Ow about walking around this area and just checking things out? We'll grab dinner before 'eading back to the 'otel, 'ow's that?"

"That sounds good," Hermione agreed. "I could do with a meal." The two of them walked around in the direction of the hotel, waiting for something to catch their eye. The nice part of being on a vacation like this was the fact that there was no structure. They could do what they wanted, and to Hermione, that was the most relaxing thing in the world.

She squeezed Fleur's hand tighter as they walked. "I'm really glad you forced this vacation on me," she said, speaking loudly enough to be heard over the sounds of traffic and people. "I've never been so relaxed in my life."

Fleur, not giving a damn about the people around them, leaned closer and kissed her temple. "I'm glad I did this, too. Both of us needed the time away from work because it's been crazy as of late."

Spotting an art gallery as they walked down the sidewalk, Fleur pointed to it. "Can we go in 'ere for a bit? I wouldn't mind taking artwork back with me if I find something suitable."

At Hermione's nod, they walked in and Fleur was immediately drawn to the pencil sketches being displayed on one wall. "These are amazing," she gushed.

Most of them were of things you saw every day in the city: people walking their dogs, children playing in the park, couples walking hand in hand. She was especially drawn to one where two women were walking hand in hand, their backs to the person drawing them.

"I want that one. It will be my reminder of our first vacation together," she told Hermione as she looked around for the sales person.

Hermione eyed the sketch. It was strange; she could swear that the picture was of them. The taller woman had longer hair than the shorter, whose hair was a bit wilder, and she could just envision them being blonde and brunette, just like them.

Fleur was on the opposite side of the store, still looking for the sales person, when the associate in question ended up being right beside her. Purchasing it quickly, she took the rolled up sketch in the cardboard tube and walked to Fleur, who was walking towards her.

"Here you go," she said, handing her the tube with a kiss on the cheek. "All yours."

Fleur couldn't help the grin that stretched her lips as Hermione handed her the tube. "Merci! You're amazing, 'Ermione."

Taking her hand and walking out of the store after thanking the sales person, Fleur started walking in the direction of their hotel again. They stopped now and again to see something that called their attention, or to watch people. As they neared their hotel, Fleur caught sight of what appeared to be an Italian restaurant and pointed to it.

"I think this is where we 'ave dinner reservations."

The restaurant Fleur had pointed to looked perfect. Small and quaint, and just what she needed. "Looks good," she said, and she let Fleur lead the way in.

As they sat down, she couldn't help but notice how isolated the restaurant was, despite being on a busy street. The pace in here was like a snail's, compared to the hustle outside, and the dim lighting and soft music were perfectly relaxing. She felt like she was at the restaurant equivalent of a spa.

"Fleur, this is perfect," she said quietly, as to not disrupt the quiet atmosphere. "You're amazing."

Their meal was excellent and they spent the time talking about themselves. By some silent agreement, work was never a topic and they just enjoyed their time together. When it was time to pay, they were told the meal had been taken care of already, something Fleur hadn't known about. They were even given a complimentary bottle of wine to take with them.

Walking back out of the restaurant, their fingers intertwined once again as if by gravity alone and they walked at a slower pace back to their hotel. They were quite during the walk, each lost in their own thoughts, happy to be together.

In Fleur's mind, however, was the thought of what would happen next. She wasn't dropping Hermione off anywhere, so she had no real excuse to kiss her goodnight, but she wanted to. She wanted to know what she tasted like, if her lips were really as soft as they looked, what her response would be like to their kiss.

Lost in thought as she was, she was surprised when Hermione stopped walking and she was pulled back. Stopping and looking back, she noticed the little smirk on Hermione's face when she happened to look up and notice they were at the entrance to their hotel. Smiling sheepishly, she took a step back and walked over to the doorman, who was already holding the door open for them, a smile on his face.

"Evening, ladies. Looks like you had another long day, but a more relaxing one."

Fleur nodded. "Work is over, thankfully. The next couple of days are just for relaxing, 'Enry."

Four days in New York and she was already on a first name basis with their doorman.

Hermione was still smirking to herself when the two of them were waiting for the elevator. She knew Fleur had been lost in her little world, but so was she; she was just more observant. Everything had been flawless, and she knew that this was the way things were supposed to be.

She caught sight of both of them in the mirror next to the elevators; Fleur's eyes were sparkling, and she couldn't stop smiling. They looked happy and relaxed, again, the way things were supposed to be.

As they stepped into the elevator, a sudden thought struck Hermione. They were going to the same place. Sure, they could go through their night time routine of watching the Muggle news, reading, and showering before going to bed, but would Fleur want... more? She knew the blonde wouldn't force her into anything, but thinking about it …

While she wasn't a virgin, Hermione hadn't been with a woman before. She wasn't sure about Fleur; while the two were close, they respected each other's boundaries, and didn't just blurt out information that could be construed as an overshare. One of the things that could be an overshare seemed to be their sexual history. She wasn't sure how exactly to approach this.

_You're thinking in circles again_, her mind sing-songed at her.

As Fleur opened the door to their room, she told herself to just relax and if anything happened, well, it did. She wasn't going to go looking for anything or pushing for that matter. Their relationship – be it professional or friendship – seemed to fall into place naturally and there was no reason to upset that balance. She felt her shoulders ease with her decision and knew right away she had made the right one.

After putting the bottle of wine on the table, she turned and smiled at Hermione.

"Thank you for today, 'Ermione. I've 'ad a marvelous time and I'm really glad we did this. It was probably the best date I've ever 'ad, to be honest, and I'm glad it was with you."

Kissing her cheek tenderly, she walked into their room to look for her night clothes. She was in too good of a mood to ruin it by thinking ahead. She was just going to shower and hop into bed.

Whatever happened, it would happen unsurprisingly and because of the pull they had towards each other.

Hermione was not that surprised to hear Fleur praise their date; while it may have seemed cocky, she was pleased to hear that the blonde felt the same way she did about their date. She knew Fleur was going to get ready for bed - it had been a long day - but Hermione wasn't sleepy yet.

"Did you mind if I open the wine?" she called after Fleur's back.

Fleur looked over her shoulder and shook her head. "No, I don't mind. Go ahead and open it and I'll 'ave a glass when I come back."

Walking into the bathroom and closing the door softly behind her, she leaned her back against it and took a deep breath. It seemed Hermione wasn't ready to go to bed yet, which meant alone time together. While she had a pretty good handle on herself, with more wine flowing through their system, she might be more willing to kiss her.

Sighing softly, she undressed and showered, taking a little time to enjoy the water flowing down her body. When she was done, she dried herself before applying her lavender lotion on and putting on a tank top and a pair of very short boxers on. She had actually gone out to buy some pajamas and hadn't been able to resist the cute, pink and white stripped girl boxers. The white tank hugged her upper body and she was hoping Hermione would notice.

Stepping out of the steamy bathroom, she walked out into the sitting room and found Hermione standing by the balcony doors, looking out.

"Your turn," she called out quietly, as not to startle her.

With Fleur gone, Hermione uncorked the wine and poured herself a half-glass. Taking it to the balcony, she looked out the glass doors, her mind running through the day. Things had been flawless; the extended date had definitely been a good idea.

While musing over the day's perfection, she heard the door open and she turned to see Fleur standing in what appeared to be new pajamas. The tank top was tight, and Hermione found her eyes lingering an extra heartbeat before looking at her legs, looking miles long, unhidden.

Taking a long sip from her glass, she set it down on the table. "Thanks," she said. Fleur's skin looked soft from her shower, and she couldn't help but brush arms as she walked past her into the bathroom.

The mirror was still fogged, and Hermione charmed it clear while she got undressed. She couldn't help but look at herself, watching her eyes get brighter and the lines around her mouth relax as she thought more and more about the day. She didn't even know what Fleur had in mind for the rest of the night, and nor did she care. It would probably feel just as good as the rest of the day. The irrationality of the thought was a little disturbing, but Hermione trusted Fleur, and she knew that the blonde probably had a perfect end in mind.

As their arms brushed, Fleur felt tingles run down her spine and settle on the small of her back. She took a deep breath once Hermione had gone into the bathroom and closed the door. She had to wonder if the brunette had brushed against her on purpose or if it was just an innocent touch.

Filling her own glass with wine, she walked towards the bed and folded the cover and sheet back and settled against the pillows behind her back. Picking up the remote control, she flipped the television on and searched for something to occupy her mind. Thoughts of Hermione, naked and wet with just a door separating them were not something she wanted to dwell on for too long.

After their first date, she didn't want to just sleep with her. She wasn't ready for that step and she was almost positive the brunette wasn't either. She didn't want to jinx their relationship so quickly by letting sex become the centre of attention. She wanted to get to know Hermione as more than her boss and her friend. Getting to know the woman was her plan, and that included romancing her good and proper.

If she got a good night kiss, she'd be happy, but right now she wanted to cuddle with her and go to sleep with her arms wrapped around her. Some might call her way of thinking old-fashioned and antiquated, but to her, Hermione meant more than some quick shag. Hermione could become so much more and she wasn't about to ruin it by going too fast.

Finding a show on the Discovery channel that looked interesting, she took a sip of her wine and settled more fully into the bed to wait for the brunette.

Fifteen minutes later, Hermione was incredibly relaxed and clean, thanks to the shower. She charmed her hair dry and toweled off her body. She changed into her own pajamas and walked back into the bedroom.

Fleur was engrossed in a television show about Africa, so she fetched her wine from the outer room and sat down on the bed quietly to watch with Fleur. They both sipped their wine and watched, and Hermione realized that she enjoyed quiet downtime with Fleur just as much as she had enjoyed their day out.

The show ended and Fleur shut off the TV. Hermione turned to her. "I know I've said it a few times, Fleur, but I really enjoyed our date today."

Fleur turned towards her, a shy smile curling her lips. "I did, too. Maybe we can do a few more things tomorrow? Sleep in, 'ave a nice breakfast and then go play tourist again? Go shopping?" She turned until she was on her side, facing Hermione, and ran the backs of her fingers over Hermione's cheek. "As long as I'm with you, I know it's going to be a wonderful time."

As their eyes locked and held, she moved even closer and cupped her cheek. Her eyes dropped down to Hermione's lips as she wondered if she could be so bold as to kiss her at least once. Looking back into her eyes, she traced her bottom lip with her thumb, eyes dropping again to follow the movement. She moved until there was barely an inch between their mouths and then stopped, giving Hermione time to pull away or move forward.

Hermione had a reply on the tip of her tongue - _all of that sounds perfect_ - but it was quickly forgotten as Fleur moved closer. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the blonde's, and the only other thing that floated through her head was that Fleur's thumb was on her mouth.

The space between them shrunk, and Hermione realized that this was the precipice; she could pull away, or push onward. Without another thought, she tilted her head forward, brushing Fleur's hand away so she could kiss her.

The first - and only - thought that occurred to Hermione was that Fleur's lips were softer than they looked. As that figment gave way to feeling, she could only sit there, and kiss Fleur Delacour properly.

Fleur felt her insides start to melt the moment Hermione's lips touched hers. Her eyes closed automatically and her hand rested on the brunette's waist as she tried to keep herself in control. She didn't want to let it get out of hand too soon, especially since neither had gone this route before.

Hermione's lips were soft and warm and she couldn't help but nibble on them, wanting to draw more of a response. Sucking the bottom one between hers, she ran the tip of her tongue over it.

Hermione felt a funny flutter in her stomach as she felt Fleur's tongue tease her lip. Of their own accord, her hands left the bedspread to hook around the blonde's neck, ensuring that she wouldn't be stopping anytime soon.

Their lips parted naturally, but Hermione pushed forward again, her tongue now tracing the seam of Fleur's mouth.

Wanting to give Hermione all control, Fleur let her lips part as her thumb moved under the brunette's shirt to caress the warm skin she found there. A little breathy sigh flowed from her mouth and into Hermione's as the kissed deepened and she let her hand rest on the small of Hermione's back, pulling her ever closer.

Their tongues tangled together, and for a brief moment, there was nothing but Fleur; even the need to breathe evaporated. They could have kissed for mere moments, or maybe it was an hour, but when Hermione couldn't last any longer, she pulled away.

The two of them were sitting closer than ever, and Fleur's hand was still on her back. Lips swollen and eyes darker, Fleur looked like she was ready to pounce again. Truthfully, Hermione was as well, although she said something before she realized this.

"Okay, so I _really_ enjoyed our date today," she confessed, a small smile on her lips.

Fleur smiled at Hermione's words and rubbed the tip of her nose against hers before moving back a few much needed inches. Again, she ran the back of her fingers down her cheek softly and tenderly, head tilted to the side as she let her eyes roam over Hermione's face.

"It's been one of the best days of my life," she confessed. "'Ow about some sleep now so we're fully rested for more fun tomorrow?"

Hermione grinned; it had been an amazing day, and she couldn't remember a time in recent memory where she had ever felt happier. "As long as I can sleep curled around you," she said, before she could stop the words. She didn't mean anything except the literal sense, as waking up with Fleur snuggled up to her had been one of the best ways to start her morning.

"That sounds like a brilliant idea," Fleur said with a shy smile.

Moving so she could lay on her back, she waited for Hermione to cuddle up to her side before pulling the covers up and around them. Kissing her forehead, she nestled more comfortably against her before closing her eyes, a little happy sigh soon following.

"Good night, darling."

_A/N 2: The End? We may or may not add an epilogue to this._

_We'll also be posting another story – a different type, if you will. It will be Fleur and Septima Vector this time and it will be glimpses of their relationship – mostly smut. It won't have a set pattern to it, an actual storyline, but glimpse of their time together as they work and live at Hogwarts. __We have a fondness for Septima and Fleur we can't control!_


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